Gas-generator.



No. 763,919. 'PATENTBD JUNE 28, 1904. P. MEYER,

GAS GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 16 1902.

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No. 763.919. PATENTED JUNE 28, 1904., P. MEYER.

GAS GENERATOR.

APPLICATION IILED APBJB, 1902. N0 MODEL.

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No. 763,919. PATENTBD JUNE 28, 1904.

P. MEYER. GAS GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 16, 1902.

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UNITED STATES Patented June 28, 1904.

PATENT GFFICE.

PHILLIP MEYER, OF SANTA ROSA, CALIFORNIA.

GAS-GENERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No: 763,919, dated June 28, 1904.

Application filed April 16, 1902. Serial No. 103,182. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PHILLIP MEYER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Santa Rosa, in the county of Sonoma and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas-Generators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in gas-generators, the object of my invention being to provide an apparatus of this character which shall be cheap and simple in construction and which shall afford a substantially continuous production of commingled watergas and gaseous hydrocarbons.

My invention also resides in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully specified, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of my improved retort and producer. Fig. 2 is a rear view of the same. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the front end of the retort. the vaporizer being shown in end view. Fig. 1 is a similar section of the rear end of the retort. Fig. 5 is a side view of a modified form of the superheating device for the steam. Fig. 6 is an enlarged transverse section of the producer.

Referring to the drawings, steam under any convenient pressure is led from the boiler by a pipe 1, which enters the furnace,'as shown at 2, and returns by a return-pipe 3, the steam thus being dried and brought to a very high temperature. In the modification shown in Fig. 5 the steam may be led by a pipe 1 into a large pipe 5, extending to the rear end of said pipe 5 and opening thereinto and escap- In either case the steam when raised to a very high temperature is conveyed to the producer 7 Said producer has an inlet 8, through which the steam brought by the pipe 6 enters, the steam thus entering a chamber 9, formed by a hollow metallic body 10. This body is shown in the drawings as being spherical in shape; but it may be of any convenient or suitable form, as cylindrical or ellipsoidal. The steam passes from the chamber 9 by means of channels 11 into the space 12 between inner and outer shells 13 14:, said shells resembling each other in form and being any suitable shape, being shown in the drawings as ellipsoidal. From the space 12 between the said shells the steam passes by an annular passage 15, formed around a pipe 16, to a pipe 17, leading to the oil-heating cylinder 18. In this cylinder is a coil of pipe 19, by means of which oil is conveyed from any suitable source of supply and is heated by the steam in said cylinder 18, being conveyed along the passage 20 and discharged through the aperture 21, controlled by the needle-valve 22, and being injected into the mixing-chamber 23 between the body 10 and the inner shell13. The steam passing through the cylinder 18 after having vaporized the oil is carried, by means of a pipe 2 1, back intothe furnace, as shown at 25, where itis again raised to an exceedingly high temperature and is then led from the said furnace by a pipe 26 to an opening 27, controlled by a needle-valve 28, by which it is admitted into the mixing-chamber, so that it strikes the heated surface of the body 10. The mineral oil in the cylinder 18 under the influence of the steam becomes heated enough to vaporize, but'does not remain long enough to form tarry matter. This heated oil enters the mixing-chamber on the opposite side to the steam, becomes to a certain extent atomized, and in this condition strikes the highly-heated surface of the body 10, where it will become vaporized. The steam and oil-vapor will now mix, the oil-vapors being brought to a' still higher temperature by coming into contact with the steam, which has been restored to a very high temperature, and in addition the steam will act to clean the surface where the oil strikes and will take up and hold in suspension any carbonaceous or other matter which might have been deposited on said surface. These mixed vapors, therefore, being in rapid motion and ata high temperature, a condition is produced which is very favorable to a chemical reaction.

A branch pipe 80 is led from the steam-pipe 26 into the neck of jet-exhauster 31, thus creating a partial vacuum and .drawing off the said mixture of vapors from the heated surface of the producer, thus keeping down the pressure in said producer. Said mixture is then discharged into another superheater similar to the pipe 5 into the side of the furnace away from the baffle-plates and then by a return-pipe passes out and into the front part of the superheater or retort 29 and against the incandescent surfaces of the walls of the retort 29. By this means, therefore, the mixture of oil and water vapors is brought to a very high temperature in passing along the retort, so that a chemical reaction takes place, forming a fixed gas. Since the two vapors have already been mixed together under a very high temperature, it follows that if sufficient water-vapor has been supplied or contained in the mixture a fixed gas ought to be the only product. Indeed, the steam from the injector will supply even a surplus. The gas thus fixed is now drawn off by another exhauster through the mouthpiece and standpipe 41 to a hydraulic or water seal, such as are commonly used in gas-works, whence it will follow the usual course to the gas-holder.

It is clear that this process is entirely continuous in every detail. The more steam is used the more it will heat the producer, and

since the superheater is externally fired the,

heat may be increased or decreased at will or astationary temperature maintained, and thus no stopping is required for heating up, &c.

My invention may also be used as an oilburner. For this purpose the steam from the boiler is by means of the return-pipe or superheater 3 brought into the furnace to become superheated. It then enters the producer 7. It then goes to the oil-heating cylinder 18, then back into the furnace to be again superheated, and then into the mixingchamber 23. 1n like manner oil under pressure comes along through the oil-heater 18 and is also discharged into the mixing-chamber. From this mixingchamber both the oil-vapor and the steam travel to the exhauster 31. In use as an oil-burner the pipe is continued from the exhauster into a superheater similar to the pipe 5 in the side of the furnace away from the bathe-plates and then back again and out of said superheater and is carried to and discharged at the place where the flame is to be applied.

Instead of steam air under compression may be used, by which method the vapors become thoroughly stirred and partly mixed with oxygen. This compressed air should be heated by bringing the same into a drier in the firebox of the boiler.

I elaim- 1. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a furnace, a retort therein, a producer secured upon a side of the furnace, said producer comprising an inner and outer shell, and a hollow body within the inner shell, a pipe connected with a suitable supply of steam, said pipe leading into said furnace and out again to superheat the steam, said pipe conducting into the hollow body of the producer, a connection between said hollow body and the space between said inner and outer shells of the producer, a coil of pipe connected with a supply of oil, means for conducting the steam from said space between said in ner and outer shells around said coil of pipe to heat the oil, a pipe leading therefrom into the furnace and out again to superheat the steam, said pipe leading into the mixing-chamber between the hollow body and the inner shell, a pipe conducting the oil from the coil of pipe into the mixing chamber, a retort in the furnace, and means for conducting the mixed oil and water vapors from said mixing-chamber into said retort, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus of the character described,the combination of a mixing-chamber, a hollow body within said mixing-chamber, means for passing continually through said hollow body superheated steam, and means for directing jets of oil-vapor and steam upon the v wall of said hollow body within said mixingchamber, substantially as described.

3. In an apparatus of the character described,the combination of a mixing-chamber, an outer shell spaced from said mixing-chamber, a hollow body within said mixing-chamber, means for passing superheated steam into said hollow body, means for conducting said steam from said hollow body to the space between said shell and mixing-chamber, and means for directing jets of oil-vapor and superheated steam upon the wall of said hollow body within said mixing-chamber, substantially as described.

4:. In an apparatus of the character clescribed, the combination of a furnace, a mixingchamber, an outer shell spaced from said mixing-chamber, a hollow body within said mixing-chamber, a retort within said furnace for superheating steam, means for leading steam so superheated direct to the hollow body, means for conveying said steam from, said hollow body to the space between the mixing-chamber and the outer shell, means for re heating said steam, and means for directing jets of the reheated steam and oil-vapor upon the wall of said hollow body, substantially as described.

5. In an apparatus of the character described,the combination of a mixing-chamber, an outer shell spaced therefrom, a hollow body within said. mixing-chamber, means for superheating steam, means for conveying steam so superheated to the interior of said hollow body, means for conveying the steam' from said hollow body to the space between the mixing-chamber and the outer shell, means for conducting the steam from said space to an oil-heating chamber to vaporize the oil, means for reheating the steam so conducted, and means for directing jets of the reheated steam and oil-vapor upon the hollow body, substantially as described.

6. In an apparatus of the character defor directing jets of the reheated steam and oil-vapor upon the hollow body, and means for superheating the mixture so formed, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

PH. MEYER. Witnesses FRANCIS M. WRIGHT, BESSIE GORFINKEL. 

